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Philosophy
Philosophy (φιλοσοφία or love of wisdom) is a broad field of inquiry in which a number of books and people have claimed to participate. There are many proposed definitions of philosophy and perhaps the most notable common feature is that the methods of philosophy are distinguished from those of science and mathematics, although its conclusions may inform these other fields just as their conclusions may inform philosophy and the three fields of inquiry may still share specific parts of their respective methods. As a way of investigating the beliefs of people, philosophy may also been regarded as a way of resolving disagreements between beliefs. In this sense, philosophy may be safely regarded as a process of confronting disagreements which cannot be resolved using scientific or mathematical methods alone. This answer to the question, "What is philosophy?", is not committed to any more particular conception than it not using identical methods to science or mathematics and those methods being used to choose between opposing beliefs. The word 'philosophy' may also apply to the academic subject of engaging in this process or even the beliefs that a person arrives upon through this process (viz. their 'philosophy'). However, this article on philosophy will focus on the process itself - its possible steps, its value, and its domains of interest. Prologemena Supposing that not all disagreements can be resolved by mathematics and science, there remains a question of which disagreements of that sort are philosophical problems. For example, theology and religion are also ways that some people settle on beliefs as is randomly selecting something to believe. None of these methods is ever equated with science or mathematics and they are rarely seen as identical with philosophy so more needs to be said about what distinguishes the problems that are resolved through philosophy. [Page will be steadily rewritten along more specific lines and with a clearer conception of philosophy in mind] Philosophy is an activity of the mind rather than of the body. Whatever may be the domain of philosophy, it is certainly some manner of thinking. The main activity of philosophers is reflection on questions, ideas, beliefs, theories, and words of a certain sort. For example, the budding philosopher may ask: * Who am I? * What should I do? * What should I believe? * How are my thoughts and actions limited? These questions are broad but force a kind of thinking known as self-reflection - in other words, thinking about thinking or thinking about one's own thoughts or actions. The fourth question seeks the boundaries of human reasoning and is an important consideration for serious philosophers. Great thinkers have become lost in thought by trying to overstep the limitations of their ability to reason and others have been too modest in their expectations of reflection, getting nowhere in their thoughts. Before reading ahead, reflect a moment on these questions. They admit of multiple interpretations and many answers depending on the person answering them. They encompass a great deal of the breadth of philosophy but reaching its possible depths requires thinkers to tease out further questions and sharpen interpretations. The Philosopher The first question forces serious self-reflection. Properly, it asks you to know yourself. Some in-depth extensions will be covered later but consider first who you are as a thinker. Thought cannot be without content since empty thought is an absurdity. The object of a thought can be abstract, particular, imaginary, real, etc but there is always some object. A philosopher is not hindered in thinking except by the natural limits that he has identified. As a philosopher, it is essential that you think without external hindrance. Never shy away from a thought without good reason. He who is too scared to think, and unwilling to think for himself, is a mere shell of humanity. Your mind is your instrument. Have the courage to use it! Inability to think for oneself is the mark of immaturity. An immature person looks for others to think for himself. A priest gives him his conscience, a book provides his knowledge, a doctor manages his health, and the media shows him his life goals. Guidance from these things is sometimes recommended but when they are allowed to dictate what you think, without your own input, you risk losing independence. A philosopher not only has the courage to think for himself but also the continence to carry through independent enquiry. The philosopher aspires not only to think for himself but to think about what matters. No one can be commended for coming up with his own ideas when these thoughts are nonsense. There is a certain species of thought that the philosopher desires, a species that we will call knowledge. This gives us a motto for philosophy: *"Sapere aude!" or "Dare to know!" Taking this seriously is necessity for genuine philosophical enquiry. It implores you to forego a life of ease for devotion to knowledge. A question naturally arises from this motto: what does it mean to '''know? What is knowing? Perhaps the most essential step in philosophy, enquiry into the meaning of knowledge is an entire area in itself and is known by philosophers as '''epistemology. The field of epistemology studies the criteria, origins, forms, and extents of knowledge. A common criticism of philosophy is that it looks into fabricated concepts, so it might be argued that epistemology is a lost cause, and there is no such thing as knowledge. We have yet to give any content to the word knowledge, so this is fair criticism. If one wishes to avoid sophistical or fictitious theories in science and philosophy then connection with reality is necessary. The notion of the groundedness of thoughts, theories, concepts and judgements in reality is truth. That is to say, a true statement corresponds to real objects or events. This introduces a whole new vague term - reality - but it is satisfactorily understood to define truth by it without finding a specific meaning. Knowledge, as a familiar concept, is thought to be possessed when we believe that what we are thinking is true. If knowledge is a species of belief then it is distinguished by being a true belief. This definition might be satisfying to some but then they must accept correct guesses as knowledge. We will avoid that pitfall by inventing another differentiation for knowledge. It must be justified by direct correspondence with the object or event that gives the belief its truth, removing lucky guesses and even lucky justifications from knowledge's criteria. Consequently, we will consider knowledge justified true belief. Definition - Philosophical With knowledge of knowledge at hand, our goal to develop philosophical minds is still vague. What kind of mind is 'philosophical'? For that matter, what questions are philosophical? And what are philosophical problems? In summary, what does it mean for something to be philosophical? Philosophers deal with claims, sentences more properly known as statements. Claims are of the form that they assert that something to be true. But it is not always feasible to attack claims directly since they tend to be grounded in background knowledge. Sometimes, when a claim is believed by custom, becoming dogmatic, then an enquirer can approach it directly with similarly dogmatic counter-claim. When a more general and less confrontational approach toward a dogmatic claim is needed, philosophers can question its grounds. Now, in coming full circle, we may tackle the notion of philosophical questions. A question is philosophical when it demands clarification or justification for a traditional set of beliefs or asks about an issue that has yet to be comprehended. Philosophical problems are consequently general to the extreme and tend to probe so deeply into an issue that questions become unaswerable. The hallmark of philosophical problems is that no one has found a solution, and it is the nature of many such problems that they must remain insoluble to human mind without drastic shifts in the magnitude of its intellectual powers. The philosophical mind must be critical, abhor dogmatic perspectives, and be ever curious. Science and philosophy share the essential similarity that whatever skills their practitioners possess, those abilities will only take them far when driven by an insatiable curiosity. Value of Philosophy Some basics of philosophy at hand, we might be inclined to ask why we are being philosophical. This is a question of purpose. Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) asks this poignantly: : "... Men, under the influence of science or of practical affairs, are inclined to doubt whether philosophy is anything better than innocent but useless trifling, hair-splitting distinctions, and controversies on matters concerning which knowledge is impossible." What, then, is the practical significance of philosophy? Or of a philosophical outlook? These questions pressupose an answer to the question 'what is practical?' The customary response is that it is whatsoever puts food in the belly, a roof over the head, and safety in reach of the family. In short, the average person sees practical significance as contributing to his material needs. If physical well-being is the only thing that matters then philosophy is useless. It won't protect you, feed you, or shelter you. Only a professional philosopher, one who philosophizes for a salary, can boast that philosophy satisfies his material needs. However, in a society where all physical necessities are provided, could we admit to living fulfilling lives? Perhaps. But only as we are mere animals. The human person requires more than bodily satisfaction. Once we have food for the body, we also seek food for the soul. Philosophizing, we satisfy our vital spiritual needs. Each of us is small as far as our personal affairs are concerned but in our craving and acquisition of knowledge, we partake in a greater whole. The Totality of Nature, so to speak. This is not as grand or mystical as it sounds. It simply acknowledges that in learning about nature we enjoy something bigger than ourselves, and thereby enact a sort of enlargening of the self. Rather than allow us to limit our self to ourselves, we can share some of the universe's grandeur by striving to comprehend it. Even when we fail to find certainty in such knowledge, we still procure an enlargement of the self by escaping custom and prejudice that plagues the uncritical and dogmatic mind. Philosophy has purpose in this intellectual regulation and satisfaction. Domains in Philosophy Philosophy encompasses a wide range of topics and is traditionally upheld as a meta-subject, incorporating the organization and relations of subjects like the natural and social sciences. Excluding the sciences, a short list of subject-areas or domains in philosophy is determinable. These areas are: *'Logic' - study of the formal structures of valid reasoning *'Epistemology' - study of belief, truth, and justification *'Metaphysics' '' ''- study of descriptive problems concerning what exists *'Ethics' - study of normative problems concerning right or wrong and how people ought to behave *'Aesthetics' - study of the nature of beauty and art *'Jurisprudence' - study of law and justice on a socio-political level *'Theology' - study of religion and the divine Some specialized areas of philosophy that are found in and around the previous ones are: *'Philosophy of Mind' *'Political Philosophy' *'Philosophy of Science' *'Philosophy of Language' References Russell, Bertrand. 1959. The Problems of Philosophy. Oxford University Press Further Reading *Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy *Philosophy e-Hub *Philosophy Forums *Philosophy Subreddit Category:Branches